David Price tossed seven shutout innings and the Red Sox scratched out a run on a wild pitch to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 and win their 100th game this season.
This marks the first time since 1946 that the Sox have won 100 games. The win also dropped the Red Sox' magic number to seven to clinch their third straight A.L. East title.
The only run of the game came in the fifth when, with Rafael Devers on first, Brock Holt executed a nice hit-and-run with a single to left, sending Devers to third. A wild pitch by Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez enabled Devers to score from third.
Steven Wright pitched a scoreless eighth and Craig Kimbrel nailed down his 39th save of the season.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:20 Wright begins shakily -- allowing a leadoff double and then a four-pitch walk. But he comes back to get a strikeout, a force play at second and a lineout to right, stranding runners at first and third.
9;10 Well, this is interesting. Steven Wright on for the eight, protecting a 1-0 lead.
8:34 The Sox scratch out the game's first run, with a walk, fielder's choice, hit-and-run, and a wild pitch.
8:13 The advanced defensive metrics aren't kind when it comes to measuring the range of Xander Bogaerts at short, but he did a terrific job going into the hole there to backhand a ball by Kendrys Morales, then made a strong throw to first to get the out.
7:53 As impressive as Price has been, Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez has matched him pitch-for-pitch. He's allowed one hit -a leadoff single to center by Mookie Betts -- but has faced the minimum since and struck out the side in the third.
7:44 David Price is in total command so far, retiring the first eight hitters he's faced, including two by strikeouts. Price is again utilizing his full repertoire and commanding just about everything at the edges of the strike zone.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: After clinching a post-season spot Tuesday night -- the Red Sox guaranteed that they would, at worst, be in the A.L. wild card game -- the Sox can reach another milestone Wednesday should they win and reach 100- wins. That would make them the first team in franchise history since 1946 to reach that level. A win would also push the Sox 54 games over ,500 for the first time this season and the first time since, again, 1946. The Sox need just seven wins in their last 17 games to set a new record for most wins in a season. Meanwhile, the team's magic number to clinch the A.L. East is nine games. David Price, tonight's starter, has the best ERA among American League pitchers since the All-Star break. This season, Price is 3-0 with a 3.71 in three starts against Toronto. Lifetime, he's 20-3 with a 2.52 ERA. Overall, the Sox are 11-2 in their last 13 meetings with the Jays this season. ...While Mookie Betts (first in MLB in average, second in runs scored, OBP, slugging and OPS and J.D. Martinez leads MLB in RBI, slugging and total bases and is second in homers, average and extra-base hits, Xander Bogaerts has actually been the team's hottest hitter over the last month with 25 RBI in his last 28 games and an OPS of 1.006 in that span...Andrew Benintendi has hit in six straight, including four multi-hit games...Brock Holt Tuesday night became the first player in Red Sox history with multiple go-ahead pinch-hit homers in the same season...The Blue Jays come into tonight with a 14-33 record against lefty starters. That .298 winning percentage is the worst in baseball against lefties and represents the lowest in team history...Should the Jays drop the final two games of this series, they would have 15 losses against the Sox this year, which would repr3esent their most losses in a season...Toronto is 2-9 in their last 11 road games...Aaron Sanchez makes his fourth start of the year against Boston, having gone 0-1 with a 6.19 ERA this season. In his last start against them, at Fenway on May 28, he allowed a career-high seven earned runs...Outfielder Billy McKinney, obtained from the Yankees in July, has reached base safely in each of his 19 games with a plate appearance.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (14-6, 3.57) vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (4-5, 5.17)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Moreland 1B
Devers 3B
Holt 2B
Leon C
Bradley CF
BLUE JAYS
McKinney RF
Travis 2B
Gurriel SS
Morales DH
Solarte 3B
Hernandez LF
Tellez 1B
Jansen C
Davis CF
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Chris Sale, a day after making his return to the mound, told Alex Cora that he "(felt) fine'' and planned to play some catch. "He's OK, just general soreness,'' said Cora. Sale will throw again Sunday against the Mets, probably for three innings.
- Cora in unsure who will reliever Sale on Sunday; it won't be Nathan Eovaldi, who did so Tuesday night, but is scheduled to pitch the road trip opener Tuesday in New York.